Annabel Toddler Dress 2-3 years

Approx 6
yards yarn in red and white, or other colours of your choosing

I small
button for the flower

2 small
buttons for the back closure

A few beads
for embellishment (make sure these are fixed on securely! They are a choking risk for tiny children)

Abbreviations:

Dc = double
crochet Sc
= single crochet

Hdc = half
double crochet Hdc2tog
= half double crochet 2 together

Beg =
beginning Ch
= chain

Sl st = slip
stitch Sk
= skip

Pattern

Using 4.5mm
hook, work a double crochet foundation chain of 70; alternatively, chain 72, dc
in 3rd chain from hook, and to end.
Join, being careful not to twist, to form a circle. Work 3 rows of double crochet in total.

Next Row: Slip stitch into the 1st “V” space
(the ch1 space between dcs), (ch3, dc, ch1, 2dc) all in the same space. Work (2dc, ch1, 2dc) into the middle of every
“V” you made in the previous row, in the ch1 space. Repeat to the end. Sl st to beg ch 3.

Repeat the
last row 2 more times (3 “V” rows in
total).

Fold the
piece in half with the starting point at the centre back. Measure 3.5” down from the shoulder on each
side. You should have 3 “V”s within that
3.5”. In the 4th V from the
shoulder at the armhole, place a marker.
Place a marker at the exact same place on the other side. These will mark where you will start the body
of the dress.

Markers
should be 3.5”-4” down from each shoulder and 10-11” apart width-wise, on the
edge of the bottom of the yoke. Repeat
for the back of the yoke.

Now that you
have your markers in place, 2 at the front of the work and 2 at the back, at
the exact same places, continue working in “V”s to first marker, skip the
stitches between the 1st and 2nd marker (this will create
the armhole), carry on working in “V”s as before, until you come to the 3rd
marker. Skip all stitches between the 3rd
and 4th marker (this will create your second armhole), and continue
in “V”s to the end. Sl st to beg ch 3.

Now continue
working in rounds, in the “V” stitch pattern, until the work measures 16” from
the shoulder.

Next
Row: Sl st to the middle space of the
next “V” as before, ch 3, 4dc into same space, *5dc into next ch1 space (centre
of the next “V”)*, rep from * to * to end.
Sl stitch to beg ch3, fasten off and tidy up ends.

Go back to
the Neckline:

This time,
working from the yoke upwards, on the inside of the centre back, attach yarn to
the centre back, ch 2, 1hdc in next st and each st around. Do not join.
Chain 5 and turn.

Next Row
(now working from the outside), hdc in 3rd ch from hook, then hdc
all around neckline, this time working hdc2tog in every 6th stitch,
until you reach the last few stitches, then hdc straight to the end. Turn.

Ch 2, hdc
all around, decreasing with hdc2tog every 6th stitch, hdc in last
st, turn, for the next 2 rows.

Next
Row: Ch 3, dc in next st, sk 1 st, 5dc
in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st, sk 1, 5dc in next st, *sk 1, sc in next st,
sk 1, 5dc in next st*; rep from * to * to end, working 1dc in the last
stitch. Fasten off and tidy up ends,
making sure the button flap at the back sits nicely where it meets the yoke.

Sew on 2
buttons on the other side of the back, so that the flap can be used as a button
border (the hdc sts will work as buttonholes).

Sleeves:

Attach yarn
to bottom centre of the armhole, ch3, dc, ch1, dc, all into the same
space. Working in the “V”s you made
previously, work 3 rows of “V”s into the ch1 spaces, as before.

Next
row: Sl st to centre of next “V”, ch 3,
4dc in same space, *1sc in next “V”, 5dc in next “V”*, repeat from * to *
around, making a total of 5 ”V”s and 5sc.
Sl st to beg ch 3, fasten off.

Repeat for
other sleeve.

Flower:

With first
colour, Make a magic ring, 10 sc into ring, fasten off. With second colour, attach yarn to any sc
from previous row, *work (1sc, 1hdc, 1dc, 1hdc, 1sc) into the same stitch*, sk
1 st, rep from * to * to end (5 petals), sl st to beg sc to finish. Fasten off, tidy up ends, and attach the
flower to the front of the yoke, with a button or bead in the centre.

Tie braid:

Using
approx. 4 yards of 2 colours together, take your trusty 4.5mm hook and work 140
chain. (if this doesn’t work for you,
just make more or less chain as you need to before cutting the yarn). (Leave long ends).

Thread the tie through the
last hdc row of theyoke.If you are going to attach beads, thread them
onto the tails of the tie, then knot the ends firmly a few times to build up
the knot, so that those pesky beads have no chance of coming off the tie.These *must* be secure with small
children.Or leave them out.Whatever you feel is safer.

One more
step – this is optional, but I like this dress with a pleat at the front. To achieve this, simply draw the ribs together
in the centre front, and neatly sew them together for a couple of inches so
that they sit nicely at the front of the dress.